Weekly Running Report: August 30, 2020

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all well!

How's summer training going? Any recent races or coming up (virtual or IRL)? Any other outdoor adventures?

This was week 15 of 20 'till the Valley Forge Marathon for me.  A couple instances of shin splints reappearance, but overall progressing back to "normal". 

My Week in Training:

Monday: 7 miles. It's been no secret that Monday's have been my least favorite day for a while. Combination of slow recovery, not wanting the weekend to end, and not looking fwd to getting back to the humidity and hills. Ice bath Sat/Epsom bath Sun, TENS gadget, foam roll, hydration, and rest. Some how finally had a decent Monday. Decent rest, coffee, good workout, hydrate/fuel, and ready to start the week! Out the door by 6. Temps ok, but you know, 97% humidity! First mi felt good, better than expected. Faded slightly through the inclines, but pace still respectful before my midway hill. Conquered that hill and readjusted my goal. orig 8:45, adjusting to 8:30. Maintaining, but more hills in mi 5, faded. Got a second wind in mi 6. 8:32 to finish. Best 7 miler in a month. Progress! Hydration goal met, foam roll done. 

Tuesday: 1 mile. Strength Training Day, plus one for the streak. Decent rest, but could of used more. Up before my alarm, but tired. Coffee, workout (extra sets all around) really helped get me going. Stretch and out the door by 6:15. As always, a little humid out. Start working on breathing before taking off. Decent start, but took a couple pace alerts to get it down. Picked it up. Focus on breathing and foot strike. Pace felt better for longer than recent. Faded a few seconds before the end, but progress. Or so I thought. Post run, shin started throbbing again. It's been a few days, but it made an appearance. Will be sure to continue focus on recovery. Hydration goal met, foam roll done. 

Wednesday: 7 miles. Decent rest, up before my alarm and ready to get into my groove. sort of. Coffee, workout, stretch, and out the door by 6. Usually my Wed is slightly better than Monday, not the case this week. Shin discomfort yesterday, even did some icing last night. Still feeling it this morning. Pacing started out alright, but each time I started to push it a bit to bring it back down was feeling some discomfort. right shin, inner, above my ankle. Pacing goal 8:45, but hoping to keep it in the 30's. as the Inclines added up before my first major hill, pace 8:20's, top of the hill 8:30, and only midway in. Could tell it would be a challenge, but trying. Quads feeling the later hills/inclines, 8:46 overall to end. I can understand the quads fatigue, but the shin is frustrating when you have energy to push but have to pull back. Will continue to focus on recovery.. Hydration goal met, foam roll done. Also later remembered that a selfie and pace doesn't resize in a collage well, take more pics on the cool down. Will do. ;)

Thursday: 1 mile. Strength Training day, plus one for the streak. Up a few minutes late last night, 9:30 pm! I know, so late! Decent rest, but up a few times and a few minutes before my alarm. Coffee, workout (extra sets all around), stretch, and out the door by 6:20. Little to no shin discomfort before taking off. Worked on breathing before taking off. Short/steep hill to start, first pace alert 6:30's! Ok, this may be a fluke, but going to keep pushing. Next couple alerts faded, but sub 7 for a bit. Hit 7, and brought it back down a couple times. Working on breathing/footstrike. Noticed my shin very briefly, but didn't hold me back. Hill and incline to end. Faded just past 7. Best 1 miler in 3 months! Shin throbbed briefly afterwards, but not as bad as Tues.

Friday: 4 miles. Decent rest, but up early! Up before 4, tried going back to sleep, but gave up around 4:15. Coffee and getting into my workout. Surprisingly not tired. Couple extra sets in since I had the time. Stretch and out the door by 6. Slight ankle/shin discomfort yesterday after my run, but pretty decent after and this morning. Couple leg aches first thing before stretching, but pretty decent before go time. Goal 8:15, max 8:30. My last decent 4 miler was 8:12, really wanted to see how I felt and if I could meet/beat that. Worked on breathing before taking off (which I usually only do when I intend to have a fast start). Short/steep hill to start, huffing/puffing, but had a good start. Another incline in mi 1, powered through. My 4 mi route, my least fav hill is moved up to 1.2 ish.. Expected my 1 mi time to be decent, mi 1-2 is the real challenge. Powered through, faded slightly as expected, still ahead of goal. Tried picking it up as it leveled out. Maintaining until the next hill. New goal of 8:00, but didn't expect to meet that. Incline in mi 3 and 4, fading to 8:05. Best 4 miler in 3 months. Felt my ankle/shin briefly, but a non issue. Some quads fatigue through the hills. Will be sure to continue to focus on recovery and best prepare for tomorrow's 20 miler! Hydration goal met, foam roll done.

Saturday: 20 miles. Long run day, trail day, yay! Ruh roh, 20 miles? Yikes! It was a rough one! But as prepared as I could of been. Epsom bath, hydrate, foam roll, carb load, relax and in bed on time. Up early and ready to go! At my trail by 5:30. My trail . Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. A bit humid to start, 96%! of course it is, ugh. lol..  Started out going to the more open, gradual incline side to Rockledge Park first. Pitch dark out! This side is more open, but there are a few more closed points in the woods. Started in the woods, few minutes in a cyclist with a head lamp blinded me, and later another runner from the opposite direction scared the bejesus out of me. lol... Humid, sweating by 1 mi, drenched by mi 2, only 18 more to go! Pacing: comfortable to start 9:09 ish, 9:15 by Rockledge Park. Rockledge Park, left the trail for a bit. Up a steep hill and down their main street for a bit, and back. 9:18 as I start on the trail. Thought about splitting a bit on the decline, but trying to keep it comfortable for now. Fueled at 1 hour. Hydrated as I passed my car at 9 mi. (usually 5.5, picked up 4.5 mi off the trail). Pacing 9:25. Bumped into a buddy at the parking lot. Warned them of my pace. They tagged along for a bit, great catching up. Off to the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd and back. Feeling it, but hanging at 9:30. Fueled at 2 hr, hydrating at 14.5. Humidity and fatigue getting to me. As I was hydrating at my car, actually thought about calling it quits at 18, and was even able to rationalize it. Still have 1 more 20 do. got my stuff together and went back out there. Back towards Rockledge one more time. Pace 9:35, but miserable, tried to ignore pace rest of the way and just get it done. Never thought about turning around for 18. It was ugly, but made it to the end and back to finish at 20. Did the perfect amount of time of the trail to end 20 right at the parking lot. Rough, but done. Still questioning summer marathon training.  Didn't take any amazing pics during my run. Pitch dark out early, and tired/didn't want to break for pics mid run. Ice bath, hydrate, foam roll, done. 

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 1 mi. Rest day, one for the streak. Run Streak Day 1681. It was a tough one and done. Sore last night, sore this morning. Overall. back, shoulder, and pretty much every leg muscle. Hoped to sleep in, but didn't. Up shortly after 6. Which I guess is kinda sleeping in? Up and really taking my time. Coffee, stretch, etc. Out the door after 8. Starts with a short steep hill, feeling it right away. But trying to push it a bit. Eventually had it down to 7:30, but was not comfortable. Hill then incline around .6. Calves, quads, glutes, etc. heavy and sore. but got it done. Shin may have hurt, but hard to tell with everything else sore as well. Will continue to focus on recovery to try to be ready for tomorrow's 7 miler. Key word, Try. lol...

Weekly Summary:

Miles:  38 miles scheduled, 41 miles completed 

Strength Training: Goal 120 minutes. 197 minutes completed. Think it's time to increase my goal, have been hitting over 150-180 the past few weeks. :)

What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 
Hydration Goal: met 7 days
Foam Roll: 7 days 
Training Plan: 

Week 15 of 20 until the Valley Forge Marathon using the below plan 

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: 

10.04.2020 - Valley Forge Marathon

Good luck to everyone with training! Kick some butt! 

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